Hematology of Japanese Quail Treated with Exogenous Stilbestrol Dipropionate and Testosterone Propionate

Blood samples from 90 sexually immature Japanese quail chicks, divided into three groups of 15 males and 15 females per group, were examined to determine the effect of exogenous stilbestrol dipropionate and testosterone propionate. Stilbestrol-treated quail had significantly lower erythrocyte counts, packed cell volume values, hemoglobin concentrations and relative percentage distributions of lymphocytes and showed higher percentages of heterophils and higher total protein content when compared with control birds. Testosterone administration resulted in an elevated erythrocyte count, hematocrit reading and hemoglobin level in the male quail as compared to the control. The mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, total leucocyte count and percentages of basophils and eosinophils were essentially unchanged in either sex by stilbestrol or testosterone therapy.